GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Saturday marks the sixth anniversary of HopCat, 25 Ionia Ave. SW, and the bar that is annually listed among the best in the country will hold its Crack Fries eating competition once again.

If you haven't yet had them, the seasoned fries are as addictive as their name implies. A $500 cash prize is up for grabs for first place in the 3 p.m. contest on Jan. 25 to see who can ingest the most (by weight) in six minutes.

Fair warning: You’ll be going up against Jacob “LL Cool Jake” Larry, who is becoming more well-known and recognized at these types of competitions as the one to beat.

Not only was Larry last year’s Crack Fries eating champion with just under two pounds inhaled in six minutes, but he also recently took the top prize at the Grand Rapids Brewing Company’s sausage eating contest, downing six cheddar brats in five minutes. Larry also won the HopCat Crack Fries competition in 2011. A glance at his Facebook page shows a picture of him taking first place at a hot dog eating competition at the 2010 Cherry Festival in Traverse City.

Is Larry Grand Rapids’s own version of Joey “Jaws” Chestnut – the current top-ranked competitive eater in the world? Another win might solidify that moniker.

Those who want to register for the fry eating competition must do so by 2 p.m. on the day of the event and can pre-register by emailing Allison@hopcatgr.com. There is a $5 entry fee with proceeds benefiting Well House, a charity that provides affordable housing.

If you feel like taking your time with an order of fries, you can get a free serving with your first draft purchase (limit one per customer) during the anniversary celebration from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is no cover charge for the event.

The party marks the conclusion of another year of accolades for HopCat, which was named Most Popular Bar in Michigan by Four Square. In 2013, it was voted No. 2 beer bar in the country by readers of CraftBeer.com, and it was ranked as the No. 1 brewpub in the U.S. by RateBeer.com. HopCat also opened a second location, HopCat East Lansing, in August 2013.

The limited-edition Russian Imperial Stout “Oil Rigger” will once again be available to purchase in bottles. The brewpub will also release six specially flavored varieties of the birthday brew on tap: Standard Oil Rigger, Marshmallow Espresso, Orange Brandy, Chocolate Raspberry, Molé, and Vanilla Bourbon.